What Steven Soderbergh announced as his “final” film (ha!) is a straightforward HBO biopic detailing the love affair between flamboyant Vegas entertainer Liberace and the decades-younger lover he took in the late 1970s. Seen from Scott Thorson’s perspective, it was a relationship begun with open eyes but turned into a bizarre rollercoaster of kitsch, drugs, jealousy and plastic surgery. Captured with a sense of humor and plenty of flair, the film is arresting from the start, has a sparkling look and great makeup. Tremendous performances from Michael Douglas (in his first major role after battling cancer) and Matt Damon, as well as a hilarious one by Rob Lowe.

2013-U.S. Made for TV. 118 min. Color. Produced by Susan Ekins, Gregory Jacobs, Michael Polaire. Directed, photographed and edited by Steven Soderbergh. Teleplay: Richard LaGravenese. Book: Alex Thorleifson, Scott Thorson. Music: Marvin Hamlisch. Cast: Michael Douglas (Liberace), Matt Damon (Scott Thorson), Dan Aykroyd (Seymour Heller), Rob Lowe, Debbie Reynolds, Scott Bakula… Paul Reiser.

Trivia: Hamlisch’s last film and Reynolds’s last role onscreen. Released theatrically in many countries outside the U.S. At one point, Robin Williams was allegedly considered for the part of Liberace, with Philip Kaufman directing. 

Emmys: Outstanding Miniseries or Movie, Directing, Actor (Douglas). Golden Globes: Best Miniseries or TV Movie, Actor (Douglas).

Last word: “The consensus [at Warner] was that there would be no audience for the movie outside of a gay audience, and that given the costs — not necessarily the money we needed from them for the rights, which was in the $5-million range, but the cost of putting a movie out, which is in the $25-million range, they’ve got to do 60-plus to get out — they just felt like, ‘We are not convinced, even with these elements involved, that there’s an audience for this outside of gay people.’ None of us thought that was true; we thought there was a much broader audience for it, but that was what was coming back to us pretty consistently: ‘This seems so gay that only gay people will like it.’ There’s not a lot you can say to that. They’re just looking at the economics of it.” (Soderbergh, The Los Angeles Times)

ABOVE AVERAGE

IMDb